Time to Love Again
by Tangled4ever
Summary: After the death of his wife, a grieving Eugene insists that his daughter, Isabelle, is the only girl in his life. However, Isabelle decides it's time for her dad to love again, and secretly sets up an account on an Internet dating site for him. Trailer on YouTube. EARLIER CHAPTERS EDITED
1. Prologue

**Hello! Alright, firstly, this is my first multi-chapter story for Tangled. I got the idea a little while back after… actually I can't remember what I was doing! Anyway, it's based on the movie 'Sleepless in Seattle', which is inspired by 'An Affair to Remember'. My original summary was too long, so here's the whole thing...**

**Summary: After the death of his wife, a grieving Eugene insists that his daughter, Isabelle, is the only girl in his life. However, Isabelle decides it's time for her dad to love again, and secretly sets up an account on an Internet dating site for him, where she meets a female artist. Set in modern times.**

**Okay, I really hope you like it! Enjoy! ;)**

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_**Chapter 1 ~ Prologue**_

_Everyone has a story. Some are stories of adventure. Some are of family, and friendship. Sometimes, they're stories of magic, and mystery. And every once in a while, the story someone has to tell, is one of everlasting love..._

_My name is Isabelle Lily Fitzherbert, and my story, is about making a way through tragedy, and finding the strength to love again..._

_And it starts, one stormy night in October, with a chair._

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**Please let me know what you think! Love it… hate it… let me know in review and PM!**


	2. One Last 'I Love You'

**Hello again! Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter, and for coming back to read the second. It really means a lot! Okay, just to let you know, this is the chapter where Isabelle's mum, Melissa, dies. Alright, let's get to the story...**

**susan friedman: Yay, my first review! Thank you so much!  
****MrAndersIversen: I'm glad you think so!  
****Umbre0n: Aww, thanks for that! I feel really happy now!**

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**Chapter 2 ~ One Last 'I Love You'**

**October 6th 2009, New York City**

Isabelle was sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the small waiting room on the second floor of the hospital, listening to the sound of thunder rumbling through the skies of New York. The waiting room was at least three or four times smaller than the one on the main floor, but still had a large desk for the doctors and nurses, and about 25 chairs for people waiting for treatments or to see loved ones.

Isabelle looked at the clock on the wall by the desk. It was 9:27pm. She was a little surprised, as it felt like she had been sitting in that chair for days. Almost an hour ago, her mum had fainted. After waiting about 5 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, and another 6 to get from their apartment to the hospital in New York's busy traffic, the doctors had rushed her up to the second floor, and into some room for tests. Isabelle didn't really understand what was happening. After all, she was only 12 years old. All she knew was that her mum, Melissa, had something called 'cancer'. Isabelle sighed, and looked down at her lap, listening to the rain that was pelting down on the roof. Right now, she was terrified. What would happen now? She didn't know a life without her mum. What if her mum didn't make it?

Isabelle lifted her head to look at her dad, Eugene, who was pacing round in circles - well, technically long ovals - in front of the room her mum was in. From the outside, it was a smallish room, and had a small window with a set of grey blinds - which were currently open - as well as four chairs lined up by the window. She felt tears form in her eyes as she watched him look through the window at Melissa and sigh. Eugene turned and looked at Isabelle. Noticing the tears in her eyes, he walked over to her and knelt down on the floor beside her.

"Hey, sweetheart," Eugene said, placing a hand on her cheek. "You okay?"

Isabelle looked in his eyes and said softly, "I'm scared, Dad!"

Eugene sighed and wrapped his arms around her, "I know, sweetheart. I know."

Just then, the doctor came out of Melissa's room.

"Wait here, gorgeous," Eugene said, before placing a kiss on Isabelle's forehead and walking over to the doctor.

"Well? How is she?" Eugene asked.

"Well, she's awake..." the doctor began.

Eugene bit his lower lip. He could tell by the doctor's tone of voice that he was racking his brain, trying to pick the best words to use. "But..."

The doctor sighed, "Listen, she _is_ awake, but she's quite weak. Honestly, I don't think she's going to make it through the night! And even if she does, I don't think she'll live longer than a couple of days."

Eugene's eyes widened and he gasped slightly at the doctor's words, thunder rumbling above. He opened his mouth to speak, but was only just able to force the words out, "What do you think we should do?"

"I think you should say your 'goodbye's while you still can."

Eugene gulped, _'Say goodbye? How was he supposed to say 'goodbye' to his true love; his Melissa?'_

"Very well," he sighed. Eugene turned around to look at Isabelle. "Isabelle, come here, sweetheart."

Isabelle slipped off the chair and walked over to her dad. "Are we allowed to go see Mum now?"

"Yes, we are, sweetheart," Eugene replied. "But she's feeling pretty weak, so we'll need to be gentle with her."

"Can I give her a hug?" Isabelle asked.

"Of course you can!" Eugene chuckled. "Just don't be too rough with her, okay?"

"Okay Dad." Isabelle, with Eugene and the doctor close behind, walked up to the door of her mum's room and opened it. Melissa had her eyes closed, but opened them to look at whoever opened the door.

"Hey, sweetheart," she smiled at her daughter, opening her arms as wide as she was able to. Isabelle walked up to her mum's bed, sat down next to her and gave her a gentle hug, while Eugene stood at the end of the bed and the doctor stood by the now-closed door.

"Are you feeling any better now, Mum?" Isabelle asked.

"I am now I have my beautiful, little girl with me!" Melissa smiled. Isabelle giggled, staying in her mother's arms. "Hey, can you do something for me, sweetheart?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well, I could be in here for a little while, and things can often get lost in hospitals," Melissa explained. She reached up behind her neck to undo the silver chain around her neck. "Do you think you could look after this for me?"

"Mum, your necklace!" Isabelle gasped, as Melissa dropped her heart-shaped sapphire pendant into Isabelle's hand. Eugene felt a massive crack form in his heart; Melissa knew. She knew she was dying. After all, she never took that necklace off, apart from when she went to bed.

"Well?" Melissa asked.

"Of course I will!" Isabelle smiled, putting her mother's necklace on.

"Oh, Isabelle," Melissa smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I love you so much, my darling!"

"I love you too, Mum!"

The doctor took a few steps towards Eugene and asked quietly, "Would you like me to take your daughter outside so you and your wife can have some time alone?"

"Yes, please," Eugene replied in the same low voice.

The doctor gave a nod and looked at Isabelle, "Miss Fitzherbert?"

Isabelle looked at the doctor, "Yes?"

"I'm going to need you to come with me, just so that your parents can talk."

"Okay," Isabelle replied. After giving her mum another quick hug, she got up and walked over to the door, which the doctor had opened. "I love you, mum!"

"I love you too, sweetheart!" Isabelle walked out the door, followed by the doctor, who closed the door behind him. Eugene sighed and walked up to where Isabelle had been sitting.

"How are you feeling?" Eugene asked, sitting down next to her.

"Not too bad," Melissa replied, weakly attempting a smile.

Eugene took her dainty hands in his, as tears slowly slipped down his face.

"Eugene, please don't cry," Melissa said weakly.

Eugene shook his head, "Melissa... the love of my life is dying, and there's nothing I can do about it! How can I _not_ cry?"

Melissa sighed, knowing there was no answer to the question. "Eugene..."

Eugene gently placed a hand on her cheek, and whispered, "I don't wanna lose you!"

"You never will!" Melissa replied with a soft smile. She reached up a hand to grab the one that was on her cheek and placed it over her heart. "Once you love someone, they-"

"-stay in your heart forever!" Eugene chimed in, instantly picking up on the 'Brother Bear 2' quote.

"Eugene," Melissa said, tightening her grip on his hand. "Promise me something?"

"Anything," he replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"That you'll never forget how much I love you. I'm so grateful to have an amazing husband like you, Eugene James Fitzherbert!" Melissa smiled. "I love you."

Eugene smiled, and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. It was obvious to the two that their love for one another was way too strong to measure, but both knew that that kiss sadly would more likely than not be their last. Once they pulled apart, Eugene sat up straight and gazed into those beautiful blue eyes he loved so much for what would be the last time.

"And don't you ever forget, that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" Eugene replied with tears in his eyes, and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'll always love you, Melissa!"

Melissa gave him a small, warm smile, before her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled for the last time. The heart-monitor went from slow beeps to one, long, constant sound that smashed Eugene's heart into pieces. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips, desperately wishing under some miracle she would come back to life and kiss him back. He sat up slowly, dragging that final kiss for as long as possible.

Once he was sitting upright again, Eugene looked at his wife's lifeless body. Within seconds, it was all too much for him. Eugene broke into uncontrollable sobs as he wrapped his arms around the love of his life. It didn't take long before he gave himself a headache from the crying, but he didn't care.

"I love you, Melissa," Eugene sobbed, "I love you!"

Isabelle, who had been kneeling on one of the chairs just outside the room and watching in through the window, wiped away the tears running down her face with her sleeve. She couldn't believe that her mum was dead. But still, something inside was telling her, _'this isn't the end'_.

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**Well, there we go! Hope that wasn't too depressing... Anyway, I would love to hear what you think! Any reviews and suggestions would be most appreciated! Plus, if anyone knows anything about shops/places in New York City, please let me know 'cause I might need to ask someone something about NYC as I get into the later chapters.**

**Please review and subscribe! I'll be very happy! (:**


	3. Two Years Later

**Hello! Thank you for all the reviews, I'm very happy! Okay, I'll let you know now; I have no knowledge of the New York schooling system **_**what-so-ever,**_** so I'm just creating Isabelle's school from scratch. That being said, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Trekrider: Thank you!  
****MrAndersIversen: Aww, thank you so much!  
****Umbre0n: Yeah, poor Eugene! Thanks for the review!  
****little princess 15: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for the really sweet review!  
****YupinaXX: I'm glad you liked it! And don't be so insulting to your own story! I think it's great!**

**Thank you also to those who subscribed and added this story to their favourites!**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 3 ~ Two Years Later**

**November 18th 2011, New York City**

Isabelle was lying on her stomach on the carpeted floor with her two best friends, Kaitlin Andersen and Taylor Bishop. It was Friday afternoon, last period. Their teacher, Mr VanderVen - although a lot of the students just called him Mr V - always gave the class half of this session - which was a little under 30 minutes - for free-time, since it was the end of the week.

Isabelle looked at her friends. They, like Isabelle, were lying on their stomachs, their iPads on the ground in front of them. Taylor was playing 'Angry Birds', while Kaitlin was going through her pictures. Isabelle gazed at the clock on her iPad and smiled. 3:16pm! Four minutes... just four minutes until the end of school for that week!

"Just four minutes left," Isabelle said.

Taylor looked up from her iPad screen and smiled, "Awesome!"

"Yeah!" Kaitlin replied. "So, you two have any after-school plans?"

"I've got to do my Maths homework," Taylor sighed. "But Mum and I are going shopping tomorrow!"

"Nice! What about you, Izzy?"

Isabelle smiled, "Once I've dropped my school bag off at home I'm going to be meeting up with my dad at Central Park!"

"Sounds great!" Kaitlin smiled.

"Alright guys, time to pack up," Mr VanderVen told the class. He was a great teacher. He had short, curly, blonde hair and caring blue eyes. He had an extremely strong American accent, along with roundish black (the frame, not the lenses) glasses.

Isabelle, Taylor and Kaitlin turned off their iPads, got up and stood behind their desks. Once everyone had stacked their chairs and they said 'Good afternoon' to Mr VanderVen, they picked up their things and left. Isabelle, Taylor and Kaitlin walked out of the classroom and over to their school bags.

"Free-dom!" Taylor sang happily as they put on their jackets and scarves. Isabelle and Kaitlin both giggled. Taylor was excellent at making them laugh.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Isabelle smiled, zipping up her brown, leather jacket. After putting their schoolbags on their backs, the three made their way to the front gate.

"See you on Monday, guys!" Kaitlin called over her shoulder as she made her way to her mum's car.

"Need a lift, Izzy?" Taylor asked.

"Thanks, Tay!" Isabelle replied. They walked over to Taylor's mum's car.

"Hey you two!" she smiled as they climbed into the car. "Where to, Isabelle?"

Kaitlin's and Taylor's parents were always so kind to her, "I just need to drop off my school bag at home, then I'm heading up to Central Park."

"Alright then," said Taylor's mum, Cynthia, pulling out of the parking spot she was in. Even in the busy traffic it didn't take them to long to get to Isabelle's apartment.

"I'll be back in a minute," Isabelle said, climbing out of the car. Isabelle ran in and smiled at the receptionist, "Hi Priscilla."

"Hey Isabelle," Priscilla smiled. "How was school today?"

"Great! Could you look after my school bag for me? I'm supposed to be meeting up with my dad."

"Sure thing, Izzy!" Isabelle passed her school bag over the counter to Priscilla.

"Thanks Priscilla! See you later!" Isabelle called, running back out of the door. After jumping back into Taylor's mum's car, they drove up to Central Park.

"Thanks, Cynthia! See you on Monday, Taylor!"

Isabelle climbed out of the car and walked down the footpath. On the way up Cynthia had questioned how on Earth she was going to find her dad in a place as big as Central Park. Isabelle had told her it was actually quite easy as they had a landmark point. She just had to find the tree that-

"Mummy, mummy!" Isabelle smiled at the sight of a 3-maybe 4-year-old girl running into her mother's arms.

"What is it, sweetheart?" She said to her daughter with a kind, loving voice, lifting her off the ground.

"There's writing in that tree over there!" the little girl said cheerfully, and pointed to a tree nearby, making her mum chuckle. Isabelle watched as the little girl's mother carried her over to the tree. "See, mummy? There's a heart with letters in it!"

"Yes, I do see, sweetie!" her mother chuckled.

"Mummy, why is there writing in the tree?" the little girl asked.

"Well, sweetheart. That's where a man and woman love each other very much, and so, they wrote it in the tree so they wouldn't forget how much they love each other."

The little girl giggled, "I think that's sweet!"

"Yes, I think so too!" her mum smiled. "Come on, sweetheart! It's time we got home."

Isabelle watched the little girl and her mum walk off down the path, before turning back to the engraving on the tree. Oh, how she knew that writing...

Just then, she noticed something over on the open grass nearby. Isabelle smiled, _'Perfect!'_

* * *

_**MEANWHILE**_

Eugene was at the police station, packing his work gear into his backpack.

"Okay," Eugene mumbled to himself. "Handcuffs, gun, taser, tube of tennis balls, spare handcuffs... what else?"

Eugene glanced over his desk, checking for anything he'd missed. Something sitting next to his computer made Eugene give a heavy, sad sigh and slowly sit in his desk chair. Eugene picked up the photo frame and looked at the picture. It was a picture of Melissa kneeling in the snow next to an adorable husky puppy from when they went to Alaska a few months before her death. It had been on her bucket list to go to Alaska to meet her pen-pal Kiara.

Eugene felt a tear slide down his cheek, and quickly brushed it away. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and turned to see his work partner behind him.

"You okay?" Jessica asked gently. She and Eugene had been partners since Eugene first joined the police force, which was only a little while after he and Melissa got back from their honeymoon. So she knew better than anyone at the NYPD that Melissa was sometimes a hard topic for him.

"I'll manage," Eugene replied, sadness clear in his voice.

"It'll get easier, Eugene. It may not seem that way right now but, it will!"

"Thanks Jess!"

"You're welcome, Eugene!" Jessica decided it best to change the subject and asked, "So, you done for the day?"

"Yep! Izzy's waiting for me at Central Park," Eugene smiled.

Jessica smiled back, "Well, I won't keep you waiting then! See you on Monday!"

"See you then," Eugene replied over his shoulder as he started making his way down to the station's kennel. He soon reached it, and waved at the kennel worker, "Hey David!"

"Hey Eugene! Here to grab Maximus?"

"Yeah, we've got to start heading home."

"Come on through," David replied. Eugene followed him into the kennel and they made their way to Maximus's cell. "So, how's Isabelle been?"

Eugene smiled and stopped to grab Max's leash from the wall it was hanging on, "She's been great! We and Max are going down to Central Park for a little bit."

"Sounds like fun," David replied, as he stopped in front of one of the dog cells and opened it. Eugene knelt on the ground as a big, white, fluffy German shepherd ran out of the cell towards his master.

"Hey boy!" Eugene smiled, petting the dog's head as he tried to leap on him and lick his face. "You know what time it is? It's time to go meet up with Isabelle!"

Max sat with a happy look on his face. Isabelle; his big, brown eyes sparkled at the name. Eugene clipped the leash to Maximus's collar, "See you on Monday, David!"

"You too, Eugene!"

Eugene walked to his police car and placed his backpack in the back seat as Max leapt into the car. After doing up his seat belt, Eugene drove up to Central Park. Once they got there, Eugene clipped Max's lead to his collar, grabbed his backpack and they headed off down the footpath. After walking about 4 or 5 minutes, they found what they were looking for...

They stopped by a tree, one that was different from every other tree in the whole of Central Park. The tree that he and Melissa had written their initials in, back when Isabelle was still 'in the oven'. Eugene ran his fingers over the heart. He still remembered that moment perfectly...

_It was their first Valentine's Day together, and Eugene was 100% determined to make it one Melissa would never forget._

_"Eugene! For goodness sakes, I'm four months pregnant and it's freezing out here! Would you please tell me what you're up to?" Melissa giggled, as he led her through Central Park._

_Eugene just smiled, "Not a chance, Mel!"_

_After walking a little further, Eugene guided her to the side to a tree just off the footpath. Melissa gave him an ever-so-slightly annoyed, half-confused, half-amused look, "You mean to tell me we walked all this way to look at a tree!"_

_Eugene laughed, "Of course not! Just watch."_

_He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small pocket knife, unfolded it and walked up closer to the tree. Carefully, he carved the outline of a heart into the tree, before engraving the initials 'EF +' inside the heart. He turned to Melissa and smiled, "Your turn."_

_A smile on her face, Melissa stepped closer to the tree and carefully engraved 'MF' just below the plus sign, inside of the heart. After folding up the pocket knife and putting it back in his pocket, Eugene took Melissa in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, Melissa!"_

_"You mean you took me away from my shortbread and my baby names' book, and brought me all the way down to Central Park just so we could write our initials in a tree for Valentine's Day?" Melissa replied, staying in his arms._

_Eugene sighed, feeling extremely disappointed. He'd been so sure Melissa would like this, "I just thought that..."_

_His sentence was interrupted when Melissa's tender lips pressed against his own. Once the kiss ended, she looked deep into his chocolate brown eyes, "Eugene, I think that's the most, romantic thing you could have done for me for our first Valentine's Day together!"_

_"I'm glad you liked it!" Eugene smiled and kissed her on the cheek, "I love you!"_

_Melissa smiled back, "I love you too!"_

_"So, how about we find a taxi and head home?"_

_Melissa thought for a minute, then smiled, "You know, it's actually not that cold out here once you get used to it! Could we walk home instead?"_

_Eugene chuckled, "Whatever you want, my love!"_

_Their fingers entwined, Eugene and Melissa began walking home in the direction they came. Neither of them noticed, but a few people turned and smiled at the young couple walking hand-in-hand down the footpath._

Eugene sighed, trying to fight back a few tears, "Oh Mel, I wish you were here!"

Max looked up at him and whimpered. Eugene knelt down on the ground beside him, "You miss her too, don't you boy?"

Maximus made a sound as if to say 'absolutely', before his attention snapped to something nearby. "What is it, Max?"

Eugene looked up to see what Max was looking at. Keeping a tight grip on the leash, Eugene walked over to the pearly purple coloured scarf lying on the grass; Isabelle's scarf.

Max began to tug on his lead. Eugene looked up and saw a huge pile of red, orange, yellow and brown leaves a few metres away. Poking out of the pile was the toe of a very familiar pair of black ankle-boots. Eugene unclipped the lead from Maximus's collar and let him run up to the pile of leaves. As Max leapt on it, leaves went flying in all directions, and a squeal came from the pile of leaves, followed by fits of hysterical giggling. Eugene jogged up to the leaf pile, and smiled at the sight of Max licking every square inch of Isabelle's face.

"Come on, Max. Get off Isabelle!" Eugene chuckled. Max turned his head to look at Eugene and whimpered slightly.

"Yes, I missed her too! But how can get a hug from my little girl if she's pinned down by a big, white fluff ball like you?" Eugene placed a hand on Max's head and tickled him behind his ear, making him pant happily. Maximus woofed cheerfully, before leading over Isabelle.

"Need a hand up, sweetheart?" Eugene reached out a hand, which Isabelle took.

"Thanks Dad," Isabelle smiled, as Eugene pulled her to her feet. "Did you bring it?"

Eugene placed his backpack on the ground and got out the tube of brand new tennis balls, and passed it to Isabelle.

Isabelle took the lid off it and took out a tennis ball. "Max!"

Max's head shot up at the sound of his name. Isabelle threw the tennis ball and Maximus went charging after it. "So, how was work today?"

"Pretty quiet," Eugene admitted. "School?"

"It was alright," Isabelle said, taking the tennis ball Max had brought back and throwing it again. "I got all my work done in class so I don't have any homework this weekend."

"That's my girl!" Eugene smiled proudly, giving her a hug.

"Thanks Dad!" Isabelle replied. A mischievous gleam formed in her eyes, "Hey, Dad?"

"Yes Izzy?" Eugene asked.

"Bet you can't catch me!"

Before he could react, Isabelle playfully elbowed him in the stomach and ran. Eugene ran after her, and once he caught up to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. "Not so fast, Izzy!"

"Dad! Let go of me!" Isabelle screamed through her laughs.

Eugene placed her back on the ground, and they continued playing with Maximus.

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**Well, there's another chapter! What did you think of my flashback back there? I'm planning on him having quite a few flashbacks, so if there is anything in particular in Eugene and Melissa's relationship you would like me to write a flashback about, please let me know!**

**Please Review!**

**;) (;**


	4. When No One Else Is Watching

**Hello, readerers! (Yes, I do know that isn't a word!) Don't have much to say other than enjoy this chapter!**

**Umbre0n: Thanks! I'm happy with it... And I made dog-Maximus to be like my white German Shepherd, Mishka!  
****Trekrider: Glad you like it!  
****MrAndersIversen: You're always so nice to me! Thank you, friend!  
****YupinaXX: Wow! 'An inspiration'? I'm honoured! But... are we going to have this argument about your story not being really bad every single time I upload a chapter?!**

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**Chapter 4 ~ When No One Else Is Watching**

Eugene was putting the last of the freshly-cleaned dishes from dinner away, desperately trying not to think about how much he missed the wonderful evenings in their early marriage when he'd walk into the kitchen, steal the tea towel right out of Melissa's hands, and slowly waltz her round the room.

Eugene sighed as he looked around his and Isabelle's apartment room. In appearance, it wasn't that much different from when Melissa lived there with them. But in his heart, their apartment was anything but the same. Without Melissa around, something seemed missing from their cozy apartment. He couldn't put a name to it, but it had died with Melissa that cold, wet, autumn night.

"Dad?"

Eugene turned to see Isabelle standing in the hallway. "Ready for bed?"

Isabelle nodded. Eugene smiled at his daughter, "Come say 'good night' then."

Isabelle walked up to her dad and gave him a tight hug, "Good night, Dad. I love you!"

"Sweet dreams, Izzy. I love you too!"

After giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, Isabelle turned and started walking to her room. Maximus followed close behind, meaning that he planned on sleeping in Isabelle's room.

Eugene watched Isabelle go, and sighed when he heard her door close. As much as he loved her, and as glad as he was to have her, there were times when Isabelle could be a painful reminder. She looked so much like Melissa with her glistening blue eyes and her long brown hair. And there were so many other things about her that reminded him of his treasured Melissa.

Brushing a tear away, he put the tea towel in his hand in the laundry bin, and walked to his room. Eugene changed into his pyjamas, went into the on suite and brushed his teeth. As he walked back into the room and climbed into bed, something next to him caught Eugene's eye. It was the empty pillow beside his own. He reached out a hand and stroked the pillow, closed his eyes and let the sweet memories of Melissa flow through his mind...

_Eugene creaked open the door of five-year-old Isabelle's room. He looked round the door and saw Isabelle lying in bed with her eyes closed, and her arms tightly wrapped around her toy border-collie puppy named Collie. Satisfied that she was asleep, Eugene closed the door and walked to his and Melissa's room. The second he opened the door, he heard Melissa humming 'What Makes A Man' by Westlife (they were one of her favourites) in the bathroom. Since he was already in his pyjamas, he climbed straight into bed._

_"Is she asleep, Eugene?" Melissa asked, walking out of the bathroom brushing her silky, brown hair._

_"Yep! She and Collie are fast asleep," Eugene smiled, watching his wife as she put down the hairbrush and walked over to him._

_Melissa giggled and climbed into bed, "I knew she would love that collie the second I saw it!"_

_Eugene smiled, but didn't reply. Melissa picked up on his silence and frowned, "Eugene, are you okay?"_

_"Melissa, honey, I'm perfectly fine," Eugene replied, coming back to reality. "I was just thinking."_

_"About..." Melissa urged._

_"About how lucky I am to have you in my life," Eugene smiled, reaching out a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Melissa blushed a beautiful shade of pink, before he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was sweet and loving, even though they pulled apart after a single moment._

_"Close your eyes," Eugene whispered, his lips still hovering over hers._

_'Why?" Melissa questioned softly._

_"Just trust me!" Eugene smiled. Melissa closed her eyes, and Eugene sat up, pulled a box out from under his pillow and placed it in her hands._

_"Okay," Eugene said, and looked at her closed eyelids. "Open your eyes!"_

_Melissa opened her eyes and looked at the box in her hands. After glancing at Eugene curiously, she untied the silky, silver ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a silver chain, with a beautiful, dark-blue, heart-shaped sapphire pendant._

_"Oh, Eugene! It's beautiful!" Melissa smiled. "But what's the occasion?"_

_Eugene chuckled softly, "Don't tell me you've forgotten what today is!"_

_Melissa's beautiful blue eyes grew large with worry and her smile faded, "I've forgotten something really important, haven't I?"_

_Eugene placed a loving kiss on her forehead, "It's the anniversary of the day we met!"_

_"It is?" Melissa asked, a surprised look on her face._

_Eugene laughed, "Yes, it is! And let me tell ya..."_

_He pulled her close to him, and nuzzled his face in her hair, "The day I met you, was one of the best days of my life!"_

_Melissa giggled, "I love you, Eugene!"_

_Eugene sighed adoringly, "I love you too, baby!"_

_Melissa sat up to put her necklace on the bedside table, before snuggling up in her husband's arms._

_"Hey, Melissa?"_

_"Yes, Eugene?" Melissa replied sleepily._

_"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me! I love you!"_

_"Love you too," was all Melissa said before the two fell asleep, safe and warm in each other's arms._

Eugene opened his eyes, his heart breaking at the memory of Melissa. He noticed that tears were streaming down his face, and rested his aching head on his pillow.

"I love you, Melissa!" he sobbed. "I'll always love you!"

Eugene kept sobbing into the pillow, until he eventually cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Isabelle lay awake in her bed, looking out the window. She had her mum's necklace around her neck, and was fiddling with the pendant. With a heavy sigh, she got out of bed and walked over to the window. She opened the window wide, allowing the crisp, cold air to blow against her face.

"Oh, mum... If only you were here!" she sighed. Isabelle leaned out of the window slightly and gazed up at the sky. Even though the city lights were too bright to see any stars, she still knew they were there, "I wish that my dad will fall in love again."

For a split second, she could have sworn she saw a faint twinkle in the sky above. Isabelle smiled, closed the window and sat back down on her bed. Maximus, who was previously asleep on her bed, sat up and yawned.

"Hey, Max. Did I wake you?" Isabelle asked, stroking Max's head. He let out a soft 'roof' in reply.

Isabelle chuckled and lay on her stomach next to Maximus, and the two looked out the window. "Things are going to get better, Max!"

Isabelle placed a hand on his head and gently stroked him, "It's like Grandma Makena says, 'Things are always alright in the end, so if things aren't alright, it can't be the end'."

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Okay, so we now know how Eugene **_**really**_** feels... Let's see what happens now... ;)**

**NOTE: I said once, but I'll say it again... I'm planning on him having quite a few flashbacks, so if there is anything in particular in Eugene and Melissa's relationship you would like me to write a flashback about, please let me know!**


	5. Painted in LA

**The wait is over, readerers! Time to get a look at the life of famous artist, Rapunzel Crawford!**

**Umbre0n: No, I don't think it's stealing...  
****MrAndersIversen: Thanks for the suggestions! I might not do the one for when Eugene and Melissa first met because I was planning on making a prequel which will basically be how they meet and fell in love, but we'll have to see...  
****Guest: Thank you so much for your support!  
****PrettyGirlRock24: Thanks!  
****Trekrider: Thanks for the review!  
****Miss PPPP: Don't worry, he won't be... ;)**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 5 ~ Painted in LA**

**November 19th 2011, Los Angeles, California**

Warm sunlight filtered through the lavender curtains in the bedroom of famous artist, Rapunzel Emily Crawford, before resting on the woman's sleeping form. Her eyelids fluttered open and she sat upright. She looked at the clock on her bedside table; bang on 7 o'clock, as per usual.

Rapunzel turned and smiled at her best friend - her pet chameleon named Pascal - who was curled up into a little green ball on her pillow, completely out of it! She reached out her hand, and gently stroked his head and back with her right index finger. The reptile stirred, and looked at the person who woke him, and smiled at the woman.

"Good morning Pascal," Rapunzel smiled.

Pascal gave her a happy squeak, which she instantly translated to mean 'Good morning Rapunzel'.

Rapunzel slipped out of bed and changed into a pair of blue jeans and a baby pink jumper, before slipping on a pair of socks and her knee-high black boots, and pushing her sleeves up to her elbows. Once she was dressed, she put her watch on and did her hip-length blonde hair up into an elegant braid.

Pascal did a few quick morning stretches, before climbing onto Rapunzel's shoulder, and she made her way to the kitchen. After putting her art pencils and sketch book on the dining table, she walked into the kitchen to make breakfast. About fifteen minutes later, she walked over to the dinner table, carrying a plate of chocolate chip pancakes in one hand and a dish of fresh, juicy strawberries in the other.

Pascal climbed onto the table, and watched eagerly as Rapunzel placed a pancake and three large strawberries onto a side-plate, and placing it down in front of him, "Don't make yourself sick!"

"I won't," Pascal replied before digging into his breakfast. He might be a chameleon, but he could stomach almost anything his owner could.

Rapunzel smiled, placing three pancakes and a small handful of strawberries onto her plate, and began eating. As she ate, she opened her sketch book and carefully drew a picture of a magnificent unicorn standing on its back legs. Today, she, Pascal and her other best friend Alinta were going to finish painting a mural on a little girl's bedroom walls. A week earlier, the two girls had been hired by a woman named Cheryl Grain to paint her daughter's room as a special 'home-coming' surprise. Cheryl had told them her 5-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Skye, had been in hospital for over a month because she had something wrong with her heart, and that after getting a life-saving operation, she was due to come home on November 21st. Both girls along with Pascal teared up at her story and were more than willing to paint Skye's bedroom. After a chat with Cheryl and her husband Thomas on Thursday, they learnt that Skye loved magic and mystical creatures, unicorns in particular. After the four finished talking, Cheryl and Thomas showed the girls Skye's room, which had had all the furniture removed. And after only 15 minutes, Rapunzel had drawn a plan for the whole room, including where to put the furniture. Rapunzel and Alinta had painted the background of the mural on Friday, and today, they were going back to finish it, and put in the last finishing touches.

After Rapunzel and Pascal finished eating breakfast, Rapunzel put the last pancake into the bin and the shared the last of the three strawberries with Pascal. Rapunzel checked her watch. 8am.

Rapunzel couldn't help but chuckle. Knowing Alinta, she was probably still snuggled up in bed, fast asleep. Rapunzel decided she'd better call her and make sure she was up, before walking over to get her cell phone out of her handbag. She dialled Alinta's number and waited, before someone picked up on the other end.

"_Hello?_" a tired voice replied.

"Hey sleepy-head, it's me."

"_Rapunzel, I was sleeping!_" Alinta grumbled, sounding more awake.

"Come on Alinta! It's already 8am!" Rapunzel said with a playful groan. "I've been up for an hour!"

"_Just because __**you're**__ up and ready for the day by __**7:15am**__ doesn't mean everyone is!_" Alinta laughed.

"Listen lazy-bones! We've got to finish painting Skye's bedroom. Remember?"

"_**Yes**__, I remember,_" Alinta replied. "_But we don't need to be there until 9 o'clock which is, I don't know, an hour away!_"

"Keep in mind, we still need to meet up at the studio, grab the paints and tools we need and drive down to her house," Rapunzel pointed out.

"_Alright, clever-clogs,_" Alinta giggled. "_I'll meet you at the studio at 8:15._"

"Alright, I'll see you then." Rapunzel hung up and put her cell phone back in her handbag, before placing Pascal in her handbag and heading out the door. After driving for 15 minutes, she arrived at the art studio where she and Alinta worked. She slipped her key into the lock and went into the building. Rapunzel walked down a hallway to the room where she and Alinta created their masterpieces.

"Hey Rapunzel, Pascal!" Alinta smiled walking into the room.

"Hey Alinta! Let's get our supplies into the car," Rapunzel replied. Together, they grabbed all the paints they needed and a large set of different sized brushes and put them in the back of Alinta's car, and after locking up the studio they headed off to Cheryl's house.

Thomas and Cheryl came out into the front garden just as Alinta finished parking on the driveway. Cheryl greeted them with a warm smile, "Hi Rapunzel, Alinta, Pascal!"

"Hey Thomas! Hey Cheryl!" Rapunzel replied while Alinta opened the trunk. "How are you doing?"

"We're doing well, thank you," Thomas smiled, helping get the paint cans out of the boot.

"That's good," Alinta said, closing the boot and locking up the car. The four adults carried all the buckets of paint inside, and into Skye's room.

"We can't thank you girls enough for this!" Cheryl smiled, passing the set of paintbrushes to Rapunzel, who was, like Alinta, kneeling on the floor prising open the paint cans. "I fact, Thomas and I were talking last night and we'd love it if you girls and Pascal would come over at 2pm on Monday for Skye's homecoming."

"If you really want us to then of course we will!" Rapunzel replied.

"Wonderful!" Thomas beamed. "Anyway, we'll let you girls get started. See you later!"

"See ya!"

Thomas and Cheryl walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. Rapunzel wasted no time getting started. She dipped her paintbrush into a can of pearly white paint and painted the body of the unicorn she drew during breakfast, before cleaning her brush. Once the body had dried, she dipped a smaller brush into a bucket of pink paint and painting a few lines for hairs of the unicorn's mane and tail. She then grabbed two more brushes the same size as the one she'd been using, and dipped one into a can of metallic silver paint and the other into a can of brilliant purple. She then used the brushes to finish painting the unicorn's mane and tail.

"Looks good, Rapunzel!" Alinta said over her shoulder.

"Thanks," Rapunzel smiled. "So, did anything interesting happen after we went home yesterday?"

"I got a phone call from my sister," Alinta replied. "She and her boyfriend got engaged yesterday!"

"That's great news, Alinta!"

"Yeah, but speaking of 'fiancés'..." Alinta trailed off for a moment and gave her a serious look. "When are you gonna get one?"

"Where is this going?"

"Rapunzel, you're a 32-year-old woman and out of every guy you've ever been with from your very first date back when we were 16 up until now, you've broken up with after three weeks at the maximum!"

"I just haven't found the right guy yet, Alinta," Rapunzel replied, washing her paintbrushes.

"Still, you're an amazing person! You deserve to be in a happy, loving relationship with someone who truly loves you!"

"Look Alinta, I _do want_ to settle down with the right guy, I just haven't found him yet."

"Are you even looking?!" Alinta exclaimed.

"I don't get much time for trying to find the right guy..."

Alinta gave her a wicked smile, "Well you'd better _find_ time, or else I'm going to start setting you up with every single, eligible guy I know."

Rapunzel smiled as she turned back to her painting, and thought about her and Alinta's conversation. Maybe it _was_ time for her to start looking around for Mr Right...

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Well, that was long! Please review and tell me what you think...**


	6. Not-So-Secret Suffering

**So sorry I've taken so long to upload! But tomorrow's the last day of the school term so hopefully over the school hol's I can do more work on it!**

**PrettyGirlRock24: You're welcome!  
****Umbre0n: Honestly, I'm not sure what you mean, but thank you for reviewing!  
****Guest: Oh believe me... it's about to get a **_**lot**_** better... ;)  
****MyNameIsAlexandraRider: I hope you don't mind but the next couple of chapters will be mainly Eugene and Isabelle, but there's plenty more of Rapunzel to come!  
****MrAndersIversen: Thank you for both the review and the 'thumbs up' on the YouTube trailer!  
****Trekrider: They won't meet until **_**much**_** later on. Just be patient... ;)  
****Hope you enjoy this chapter and that you will watch the trailer I made.**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 6 ~ Not-So-Secret Suffering**

**November 21st 2011, New York City**

The sound of steady beeping was answered with a small tired groan. The alarm clock making the 'beeping' noises receive a few whacks from its half-asleep owner, before being jabbed in the 'off' button.

Isabelle sat up slowly and yawned. Now fully awake, she opened her crystal blue eyes and looked at her alarm clock. 7:30am.

Isabelle climbed out of bed and changed into a pair of blue jeans and pink long-sleeved turtleneck, before fastening her mother's sapphire necklace around her neck. One thing she liked about her school was that there wasn't a uniform the whole school had to wear '**or else**'. It meant that she could just be herself.

She grabbed her hairbrush, a hair tie and a few sparkly multi-coloured clips, before walking out of the room and into the dining room.

"Hey, sweetheart," Eugene smiled as Isabelle sat down at the table. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks Dad," Isabelle replied as Eugene placed her breakfast on the table in front of her, before taking her hairbrush and brushing her soft brown locks.

"Good?" Eugene asked, carefully braiding his daughter's long hair. "Hair tie."

"Uh-hum," Isabelle mumbled as she ate, passing the hair tie over her shoulder to her dad. Her dad was nothing close to a masterchef, but he could definitely make _killer_ chocolate chip pancakes.

"Glad you think so," Eugene laughed, wrapping the hair tie around the end of her braid before sliding the hair clips into place. "Alright, your hair's done."

"Thanks Dad," Isabelle smiled, placing a kiss on her father's cheek, before running off to brush her teeth and finish packing her school bag.

* * *

Isabelle sighed gratefully at the sound of the lunch bell. Now was her chance to get some advice about how to help her dad. Once everyone had said 'good afternoon' to the teacher and all of the other students had walked out of the classroom, Isabelle walked over to the teacher's desk. "Thank you for agreeing to talk with me after class."

"You're welcome, Isabelle," Mr V smiled. "Now, what's troubling you?"

"The way my dad's been acting since Mum died. I'm just so worried about him! He tells me over and over again that he's fine, but it's obvious he's not," she explained. "I'm not naïve."

"Maybe you should try talking to him," Mr VanderVen suggested.

"I _have_ tried talking to him! Every time it's the same! He tells me that's he's fine; 'he's got me and that's all he needs'. But then I creep out of my room once he's gone to bed, I press my ear to the door and can so clearly hear him sobbing his heart out, crying mum's name!" Isabelle cried desperately. "I just don't know what to do! It isn't good for him to grieve like this all the time, but how can I, or anyone else, help him if he won't even accept that he _needs_ help?"

Mr V placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and Isabelle sighed. "What do you think I should do?"

Mr VanderVen thought for a moment, "I think you should talk with people who have a bit more of an insight into the way your dad coped with losing your mum."

"You mean like his work partner, Jessica?" Isabelle asked.

"Exactly," he replied. "Find out how he acts around different people like his family and colleagues, and then, once you know enough about his behaviours, do whatever you feel is the right thing to do."

Isabelle smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Mr V."

"You're welcome, Izzy," he smiled back. "Now, go on and have a good lunch break."

Isabelle grabbed her things and walked out of the room to find Taylor and Kaitlin.

* * *

The door gave a small clunk as Isabelle turned her rose-patterned key in the lock. She opened the door and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. Today was one of those days when her dad was working until about 5pm, which meant he wouldn't be home until 5:15 at the earliest.

Isabelle looked down at her watch and smiled. It was only 3:45, so she still had an hour and a half minimum. _'Perfect.'_

She grabbed her lunchbox and water bottle out of her bag and placed them on the kitchen counter for washing, before walking into her bedroom and placing her school bag on the floor. She then walked back out into the living room and grabbed the phone, before pressing some of the numbers and holding the phone to her ear.

The phone rang for a moment, before someone picked up on the other end, "_Hello, this is Makena Fitzherbert._"

"Hi Grandma," Isabelle said.

"_Hey sweetheart,_" Makena greeted warmly. "_How have you been?_"

"I've been fine, thanks," Isabelle replied. "How about you?"

"_Oh, same as always. How's school?_"

"A bit tiring," Isabelle admitted, deciding that now would be a good time to bring up her reason for calling. "Actually, that's part of the reason why I'm calling."

"_Okay then. What did you want to talk about?_"

"Well, I had a talk with Mr VanderVen today," Isabelle explained. "You know, about... Dad."

"_What about your dad?_" Makena asked, sounding slightly worried.

"About how he's been acting since Mum died," Isabelle replied. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask... what was Dad like around you after Mum died?"

"_Honestly?_" Makena sighed. "_Not much better than an exploded train wreck. You'd have to be a fool not to realise that your mother's death was extremely hard on him._"

"I mean how he _acted_ around you. You know, was he miserable all the time? Was he distracted?"

"_Well he __**was **__those two for starters,_" Makena began, and paused for a moment. "_He spent quite a lot of the time when it was just me and him crying. To tell you the truth, seeing your father cry so much was a new experience to say the least!_"

Isabelle smiled sadly at the sound of her grandmother letting out a sigh. "_He also told me more than once that he felt really lost... that he didn't know if he could live without your mother by his side. There were a couple of times when I truly didn't know what to say to him._"

Makena paused for a second, before changing the subject. "_So, is that all you wanted to know?_"

"Yeah, thanks Grandma Makena," Isabelle said gratefully. "Listen, I have to go..."

"_Alright sweetheart, but before you go, hear this,_" Makena replied. "_Your dad's going to be okay. It's like I always say; 'Things are always alright in the end, so if things aren't alright-_"

"-it can't be the end," Isabelle finished.

"_That's right,_" Makena chuckled. "_Love you, darling._"

"Love you too, Grandma," Isabelle smiled, before hanging-up. She then dialled another number and held the phone to her ear again. After waiting for a few minutes, someone picked up and a familiar voice reached her ear.

"_New York City Police Department, Jessica Wilson speaking._"

"Hey Jessica, it's Isabelle."

"_Hey Izzy, you phoning to talk to your dad?_" Jessica asked.

"No, actually I was hoping to talk to you..." Isabelle said. "Without... Dad knowing..."

"_Okay, well, your dad's gone off to help out at a jewellery shop robbery, so there's little chance of him walking in unexpectedly,_" Jessica assured her.

"Perfect!" Isabelle smiled. "I was just wondering... what's Dad been like around you since Mum died?"

"_Why do you want to know?_"

"My teacher suggested that I should talk with people who have a bit more of an insight into the way he coped with losing Mum," Isabelle explained. "Do you mind?"

"_Of course not!_" Jessica replied. "_So, you want to know what your dad was like after your mum died, right?_"

"Yeah."

"_Well, you already know that he was off work until the February after she died._"

"Well, yeah, but-" Isabelle paused, remembering something odd from back then. "Wait a minute! A few weeks after he went back to work, he suddenly started staying home again until somewhere in late March. Did something happen?"

Jessica sighed, and answered sadly, "_Yes. Your father and I were helping to solve a murder... We were interviewing a suspect, a colleague the victim had been fighting with hours before the murder. When we asked where he was at the time of the murder, he told us that he was in hospital with his wife, who was dying of leukaemia._"

Isabelle cringed. When her mum first got sick, she knew very little about what was going on. But a little while after her mother's passing, it was carefully explained to her by Makena, her mother's parents and her mother's twin brother, Kurt, what had been going on. One of the things she'd been told was that her mother's illness was called 'leukaemia'.

Jessica continued, "_I wasn't the least bit surprised when your dad stood up and only just made it out the room before bursting into tears. Honestly, it was one of the __**only**__ times I've __**ever**__ seen your dad cry. Anyway, the Captain told him to stay home until he felt he was able to work again. But even after he came back at the end of March, so often he seemed distracted and not quite there. Anyone who says that your dad's fine is crazy!_"

"Does that include Dad? Considering that he's always telling me he's fine."

"_Listen, your dad's just got back so I'll have to go, but don't worry. Your dad's gonna be okay,_" Jessica said. "_And don't worry, I won't let your dad find out about our little chat._"

"Okay, thanks Jessica," Isabelle replied, before hanging up. After placing the phone back in its stand, she walked back to her bedroom.

Closing the door behind her, Isabelle sighed. Talking to Mr VanderVen and getting a better understanding of her dad's not-so-secret suffering was definitely the right thing to do, but she still had no idea on how to help her dad... Oh well. She'd have to think about it later... Right now, she had a paragraph on a ceramics artist to write.

Isabelle sat in front of her laptop, which was sitting on the desk in her bedroom. After it was up and running, she opened up the Internet and went onto YouTube to find something to listen to while she worked on her art homework. Once she found a lyrics video for Uncle Kracker's 'You Make Me Smile', she clicked on the link. As the clip loaded, something on the page caught her attention. Isabelle cocked an eyebrow at a small advertisement above the suggestions list. Her eyes widened as an idea began to form in her mind. But could she pull it off? Could she afford not to try? Her dad needed help, and this could be her only chance...

Making up her mind, Isabelle turned away from the laptop and grabbed her iPad from her school bag. After opening 'Messages', she typed a message to Taylor and Kaitlin reading, 'Kaitlin, Taylor... I've got an idea!'

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Well, I wonder what her **_**genius**_** idea is... as if we don't already know. ;) Please review!**


	7. Plan in Action

**Okay, readerers... This is where things get really good! So sorry it's been so long since my last update, but as I'm - at this point in time - only 15 years old, it took forever for me to convince my dad into letting me look at the sign-up page for eHarmony...**

**YupinaXX: Don't worry, you'll see! ;) (Really hope to read more of your Tinkerbell story soon... no pressure...)  
****Umbre0n: I love it too! Glad you liked the chapter!  
****Guest: I love it when people really enjoy my work! Thank you!  
****Trekrider: Sorry, not giving any spoilers... *_*  
****MrAndersIversen: I'm sure I don't deserve all the praise you give me... I guess all I can do is thank you for being such a great friend! (:  
****Guest 2: Thank you so much for reviewing! ;)**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 7 ~ Plan in Action**

**November 23rd 2011, New York City**

"Izzy, this plan is **genius**!" Taylor squealed, trapping the girl in a tight hug.

It was 3:45 in the afternoon, and they and Kaitlin were in Taylor's bedroom, sitting on her bed.

"You do realise that this could be counted as identity theft, right?" Kaitlin questioned. "And you're a bobby's daughter!"

"Well, _I_ think it's romantic," Taylor argued, crossing her arms over her chest, before continuing dramatically, "A man loses his wife to leukaemia, then his daughter poses as him on an Internet dating site in search of the woman who can heal her father's broken heart."

Isabelle smiled at the way Taylor described what she was planning as if it were some kind of Shakespearean romance. She knew she was crazy for even _attempting_ to do this, but she couldn't suppress the rushing excitement and determination surging through her body.

"I'm _just_ saying that it's uncommon for a cop's daughter to commit identity theft on her own father," Kaitlin replied. "I never tried to convince you out of this..."

Both Isabelle's and Taylor's jaws dropped in sudden realisation, before Isabelle voiced their discovery, "Oh my gosh! You're _agreeing_ to this!"

Kaitlin had always been the most sensible one in their friendship. So the sheer thought of her agreeing to them doing something that could possibly be counted as a crime was unheard of to say the absolute least.

"Despite what you think, I _do_ have a romantic side," Kaitlin giggled.

"So, this means you'll keep my secret?" Isabelle asked, chewing on her lower lip nervously.

"Of course I will," Kaitlin smiled.

The three girls hugged each other, until Isabelle pulled back, "Okay then, let's create that account."

Taylor logged in to her laptop and opened up an Internet page, before passing the laptop to Isabelle.

Isabelle typed 'eharmony usa' into the search engine and clicked on the link, before clicking on the 'sign up' icon.

"Okay... Name, that's easy... I'm a man seeking women..." Isabelle mumbled, mostly to herself, as she filled in the first two boxes, before entering her zip code, country and her email address. "What should I make my password?"

"Well, it needs to be at least 8 characters. And something your dad won't figure out," Kaitlin replied.

"How about 'polarbears'? No space," Taylor suggested. Kaitlin gave her a questioning look, to which Taylor shrugged, "What?"

"It's perfect," Isabelle laughed, typing in the password.

For the next several minutes, Isabelle combed through the pages and - with help from Kaitlin and Taylor - answered all the questions, including the mega-awkward ones.

"How long have we been _doing this_ for?" Taylor eventually groaned.

Kaitlin looked at watch, "About half an hour."

"Don't worry. It shouldn't take much longer," Isabelle smiled, before turning to the laptop screen and reading the page, "_Section 13: Matching Information..._"

The first 7 questions were easy, but Isabelle decided to get some advice on the next one...

"Guys, what should I say for question 8?" Isabelle asked.

"_'Aside from any children you or a new partner may already have, would you like to start a new family by having or adopting a baby?'_ " Taylor read the question, and turned to Kaitlin.

"It's probably safest to say 'maybe'..." Kaitlin replied. Isabelle nodded, gave that answer, and went to the next page.

"_'Upload a photo'_. Okay..." Isabelle mumbled. She pushed her usb stick into the laptop, and uploaded the picture of her dad she'd saved onto the usb the night before onto her new account.

"Perfect," Kaitlin smiled. "What's next?"

Isabelle clicked the 'save and continue' button for probably the 20th time that afternoon, and read the next question, "_Tell your matches a bit more about yourself. You may be as personal as you like. Why is finding that special someone so important to you? Answer in 650 characters or less._"

"Yikes, Izzy... You're _really_ gonna have to put yourself in your dad's shoes for that one," Taylor commented.

Isabelle thought for a few minutes, drafting her answer out in her mind, before she began typing her answer. A minute later, she sat up and looked at her best friends for approval, "How's this?"

Kaitlin leaned over her shoulder and read out her answer, "_Finding that special someone is important to me for many reasons. Two years ago, my beautiful wife Melissa died from leukaemia, leaving me alone with our daughter Isabelle. Melissa meant the world to me, and her death absolutely devastated me. I told everyone that I was fine, but Isabelle saw right through it. She told me that I couldn't keep grieving like I was and that I needed to try and find love again. One of the most important things I'm looking for in a partner is that she's good with children. Whoever I end up getting together with has to be someone who is capable of being a caring, loving step-mum for Isabelle, who she feels she can trust and depend on. Aside from that, the only other majorly important thing is that my partner wants to be with me and love me because I'm me._"

"That's absolutely beautiful, Izzy," Taylor breathed as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"I couldn't agree more," Kaitlin agreed.

Isabelle smiled, and pressed the 'save and continue' button; again. She read the next page and smiled, "That's it..."

"Finally!" Taylor exclaimed with an extravagant sigh.

Isabelle chuckled, "I can't _believe_ I just _did this_!"

"I guess all we can do now is hope that this works out..." Kaitlin smiled tenderly.

Isabelle touched the sapphire pendant hanging from her neck, "Yeah."

* * *

**That night, Los Angeles, California**

Rapunzel sat quietly in front of her computer screen, staring at the eHarmony home page, while Pascal sat on her desk, watching with the same level of quietness.

She just couldn't make up her mind whether or not she should sign up. She _did_ want a serious relationship, but her busy life meant that she didn't really get the chance to look around for her 'Prince Charming'. Joining eHarmony was probably the best option.

But what kind of guy would she get matched up with? And what if her seemingly 'perfect match' wasn't the right guy for her?

Rapunzel glanced down at Pascal, "Just by clicking that button, I could be halfway to find my right guy... but do I even dare?"

"If you don't, you could miss your chance at finding true love," Pascal replied. "You just have to do it..."

Rapunzel took a deep breath and sighed, "I _could_ just walk away and not take the risk... Should I?"

Pascal shook his head, "No. You should just take a leap of faith and go for it!"

Rapunzel looked back at her computer screen and smiled, before moving the mouse over the 'sign up' button and clicking.

"Here I go..."

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**And now, the search begins! See my Tangled reference at the end? Like I said at the start, as I'm only 15, there is no way of Earth that my parents would let me sign up on an Internet dating site to help me write this fanfic, so from this point on, I'll be using my own imagination for this, so please don't criticise me if I get something wrong. Anyway, please review! ;)**


	8. Matches Mayhem

**Ugh! How long has it been since I last updated?! Yeah, don't answer that...**

**Umbre0n: I know, right! Aren't I just genius? ;) Glad u liked it!  
****Trekrider: :0) - clown nose!  
****Emma's Angel: Hello, new reviewer! Thanks so much for the review... (And for the comment on the trailer if I right in thinking that that was you)  
****youweremynewdream: Awwww... Thank you. :D  
****Guest: ;)  
****Bookworm741: Yeah! Of course I put a Tangled reference... (;  
****MrAndersIversen: Thank you so much, my dear friend. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter...**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 8 ~ Matches Mayhem**

**November 24th 2011, Thanksgiving, New York City**

Isabelle closed the front door behind her as she walked into her and her dad's apartment. Maximus, who was having a day off from chasing criminals, pricked up his ears, climbed off the coach and trotted up to his human companion.

"Hey Max," Isabelle smiled, patting the dog's head. "Had a good day?"

Maximus barked happily in reply, earning him a laugh from his human friend.

Isabelle pulled her lunch bag and water bottle out of her school bag and placed them on the counter, before heading straight for her room, Max hot on her heels. That morning she'd received an email from eHarmony telling her that her - well, technically her dad's - matches were ready, and she was anxious to see her father's matches.

Walking over to her desk, she switched on her computer, tapping impatiently on the desk as it booted up. As her dad was set to be working really late that night, he'd asked Makena was supposed to be coming over to look after her, which meant she was slowly but steadily running out of time to go through her dad's matches.

Before long though, the printer in the office sprang to life, producing a small stack of profiles to sort through. Walking back into her bedroom, she smiled at her certain someone sprawled across her bed, "Comfy, Max?"

The dog's head shot up, and he panted happily. Izzy giggled, sitting on the bed next to him. Placing the pile of profile papers on her bed, she spread them out so every one was showing (well, so she thought).

Casting a gaze across all the papers, she selected one. The profile was for a 31-year old wedding photographer living in New York City named Chelsea Gaylee. She seemed rather nice, and shared a lot of the same values, interests and beliefs as her dad, but soon enough, Isabelle spotted a problem…

'_I adore dogs, and have done since a young age; unfortunately, I'm very allergic to them, so I can only be in the same room as them for brief periods…'_

Isabelle sighed, placing the piece of paper to the side, "She won't work…"

Izzy continued going through the rest of the profiles, however the rest weren't a lot better. With the exception of three girls who her dad _might_ take interest in, due to long hours, phobias, differing personalities, age differences, and other issues, the remaining 13 would never have worked for any long period of time.

Isabelle sighed in defeat, "I'm beginning to lose hope, Max. Sure, we've got three possibilities, but I don't think we've got anyone here we could label as Dad's "perfect match"…"

Maximus gave a whimper, placing a furry, white paw on her knee. Isabelle replied with a small smile, before she sighed again, "I- I just can't help but feel I've missed something... But what?"

Two seconds later, as if on cue, a gust of wind blew in through the open window, sending all the profile pages onto the floor. Isabelle gave a frustrated groan, pushed herself off her bed and began picking up the pieces of paper. As she did, she caught a glimpse of something poking out from under the door of her built-in closet.

Isabelle walked over to the closet and knelt down on the floor to see that it was a piece of paper. She gasped softly as she caught sight at the bottom right-hand corner; 'Page 17 of 18'. Normally this wouldn't mean anything, but it did to Isabelle. 17 had always been her mum's lucky number. Could this be the sign she'd been hoping for?

Slowly, Izzy pulled the piece of paper out from under the door and scanned over it. The profile was for a 32-year-old artist living in Los Angeles, named Rapunzel Emily Crawford.

Isabelle sat back down on the edge of her bed, and continued reading the profile. As she went through the page, Isabelle's hopes restored rapidly. Out of all the 18 women her dad had been matched with, this 'Rapunzel' was by far the best bet.

"I think we've done it!" Isabelle beamed, before noticing she had a pet. "Max, you'd be okay hanging out with a chameleon, right?"

Max cocked his head to the side, before barking to say 'sure' when his friend showed him a picture of a chameleon.

"Perfect!" Izzy smiled. After dumping the 14 negative profiles in the rubbish bin in the kitchen, she sat down in front of her computer and googled 'painting by Rapunzel Emily Crawford'.

* * *

Jessica sat at her desk, quietly reading 'The Notebook'. Being Thanksgiving, most of the other cops had left to be with their families for the holiday, leaving a small bunch of cops to stay and take care of any issues that should arise.

Eugene, like herself, was one of those cops, but he'd stepped out for a few minutes to make sure his mum could watch over Isabelle for the night. Jessica understood completely why her partner had chosen to work tonight, as well as on the two other Thanksgivings since that tragic October. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day when the whole family gets together to laugh and spend time together, and being thankful for one anothers company.

Eugene had always gotten on well with his in-laws, despite not meeting them until a good couple of weeks _after_ he and Melissa got engaged, and he'd formed a good friendship with her twin brother in the very early stages of his and Melissa's courtship. But since that night over two years ago now, while he still associated with them, it had become too hard for him to spend Thanksgiving with his deceased sweetheart's family, which they thankfully understood.

Jessica jumped, her cell phone breaking the silence she'd been peacefully settled in. Laying her bookmark in place and closing her book, she placed the novel on her desk, and began rummaging through her handbag. Pulling out the phone, she checked the caller ID and smiled, pressing the 'talk' button and holding the phone to her ear, "Hey Izzy. What's up?"

"_Hey Jess. Dad's not there, is he?_"

"Uh, no. He just stepped out for a minute. Do you want me to go get him?"

"_NO!_" Isabelle replied a little too quickly. "_I mean, no. He can't know I called you…_"

Jessica instantly grew suspicious, "Isabelle, is something wrong? You're not in trouble, are you?"

"_No, no, no, everything's fine. It's just that I've come up with a plan to help Dad… and I need your help..._"

A wide smile spread across Jessica's face, "Izzy, that's fantastic! Well, come on! Tell me! What's the plan?"

Over the phone, Jess heard the young teen draw a slightly nervous breath, before she revealed, "_I've… set up an account on eHarmony in Dad's name…_"

Jessica was shocked for a moment, but soon a small, sly smile appeared on her face, and she replied teasingly, "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this one, young Isabelle… Forgery? And from a cop's daughter no less!"

Jess could practically hear the girl rolling her eyes, "_I know, I know… But I'm really confident about this! I know it's wrong, but… something about this just feels like it's the right thing to do…_"

Jessica chuckled, before a sigh escaped her body, "Listen, Isabelle… As a friend and partner of your dad's, I know how badly he's hurting, and I'd love for him to find love again… But I also don't want anything to happen to you… The Internet can be a very dangerous place sometimes, particularly sites like this. You never completely know who you're talking to and what their motives are. So please, Isabelle, for yours and your father's sake, **be careful**!"

"_Don't worry, Jess... I know what I'm getting myself into, and the warning signs to look out for,_" Isabelle assured her. "_It's okay, I'll be careful…_"

"Good. So, what exactly do you need me to do?"

"_Well, I've been through Dad's matches and I've found four girls I think we'd both get on with. But, like you said, people aren't always who they say they are, so I was hoping you'd take their names and check them over on the NYPD's database to make sure there's nothing I need to be worried about… The last thing I want is for Dad to start falling and then get hurt because the girl he's interested in, I don't know, has a record or something…_"

"I'm impressed, Izzy… That's a very smart, sensible idea."

"_So? Will you?_"

"We're not supposed to use the database for anything other than work, but I'll do my best," Jessica replied. Opening a desk drawer, she pulled out a pen and notebook, "How about you give me those names, and I'll see what I can do…"

"_Okay, this first one's name is India Douglas… According to her profile, she's 30 years old, she's a day-care worker, and she's the widowed mum of a 3-year-old girl named Erica…_" Isabelle paused, waiting as Jessica took notes. "_Next, her name's Rosalyn Peters… Says she's a 32-year-old fitness coach…_"

"Okay…" Jessica mumbled, writing down the information given to her. "Third?"

"_Third, says her name is Cameron Miller, and that she's a 31-year-old swimming teacher…_" Again, Isabelle paused for a moment, before continuing, "_Now, this last one may or may not be a bit more tricky… Her name's Rapunzel Emily Crawford, she's 32, and she's an artist. I've found her and her artworks on a few different sites so that might be helpful, but she's living in California, so…_"

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem…" Jessica replied, writing down the last of the details Isabelle had listed. "Okay, I'll take care of these as soon as I can."

"_Thank you, Jessica…_" Isabelle thanked softly.

"You're welcome, Izzy. I-" Jess trailed off, spotting something out the corner of her eye, "I need to go. Your dad's coming…"

"_Okay, thanks again._"

"No prob. Talk to you soon…" Hanging up the phone, Jessica quickly shoved the notepad, pen, and her cell phone into her handbag, just as Eugene reached her desk, "Hey, Eugene…"

Her partner merely gave her an interested smirk at the rushed greeting, "Rather quick to get off the phone, weren't we Jess?"

"That was just my mum calling to check I still couldn't make it to Thanksgiving dinner," Jessica lied. It wasn't the best excuse, but it _was_ buyable. It wasn't like Eugene didn't know about the 'song and dance' her mother had been making about her not being at the family get-together.

Eugene, having thankfully bought the lie instantly, chuckled, sitting on the chair next to her desk, "She still giving you a hard time?"

"Uh-hum," Jessica nodded, for once thankful for the guilt-trip her mother had been trying to inflict on her throughout the week. "I know she wants me to be there, but _someone_ has to be here, keeping an eye on things…"

Eugene nodded in understanding, hints of tears in his eyes.

"Eugene, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's just…" Eugene sighed. "Mel's mum called to see how I am…"

No words needed to be spoken. Jess reached forward and placed a hand over his, "I'm not the only cop here… Go home."

"Jess-"

"No," Jessica stopped him. "I'll be fine. Go home and be with your daughter."

Eugene smiled slightly, standing up. "Thank you."

With that, he grabbed his things and walked away. Jessica watched him go, sighing sadly as he stepped into the elevator. Isabelle wasn't the only one not being fooled by the faked smiles and forced "I'm okay"s. It was clear to all who knew him that even now he still struggled without Melissa.

Looking away from the closing elevator door, she pulled out the list of names Isabelle had asked her to search. A smile spread across her face, and she looked out the window on the other side of the room at the storm that was beginning to unleash itself on the city.

Continuing to gaze at the storm, speaking to no one in particular, she said, "Thank you, for giving Eugene a daughter like Isabelle…"

* * *

_Large raindrops pelted down on the city that mid-July evening, forcing every pedestrian on the crowded footpaths to put up their umbrellas, and every driver on the congested roads to switch on their headlights and windscreen wipers. Somewhere amongst the snail-paced traffic jam, a young man tapped impatiently on the steering-wheel of his car. Heated air steadily pumped through the car, protecting him and his passenger from the harsh cold that was sweeping its way throughout New York, while turning all the side windows into drawing borders._

_The young man turned to look at his female companion. Left arm hugging her knees to her chest with the heels of her boots resting on the edge of her car-seat, her right index finger glided slowly across the window beside her, tracing patterns on the steamed-up glass._

_The young man looked back at the traffic ahead of them and sighed, "Mel, I'm sorry."_

_Melissa turned away from her glass sketchpad and gave him a questioning look, "Eugene, what are you talking about?"_

"_I had tonight planned out perfectly. I'd pick you up, take you out for a nice dinner, then we'd take a romantic stroll through Central Park," Eugene explained sadly. "But now it's raining and..."_

_Trailing off, he sighed again, closing his eyes as he rested his head on his headrest. Moments later, he felt a hand tenderly rest on his leg. He looked back at his female passenger, to see that beautiful smile he'd fallen so in love with the moment he first saw it._

"_Eugene, it's okay. And despite what you think, this date wasn't a complete disaster," Melissa told him. "I'm here with the man I love, dinner was amazing, and you know I love the rain."_

_Eugene chuckled briefly, giving her a small smile, "Still..."_

"_And... you know what I love most about rain?"_

"_Lying in bed listening to it?" he guessed._

"_Well, yes... I've always loved doing that... But that's not it..."_

"_What then?"_

_Melissa took his right hand with her left, and he smiled, feeling the smooth metal of her engagement ring against his skin._

"_It reminds me of our first kiss," she answered. "Remember? We were outside, and it was pouring with rain..."_

"_We got completely drenched but... it was amazing..." Eugene added, beaming at the treasured memory._

_They smiled at each other, and for a moment the car was silent._

"_So... you had a good time then?"_

_Melissa smiled softly at her fiancé, "No. I had a fantastic time."_

_Cupping her chin with his hand, he brought her closer, ready to kiss her, until they were rudely interrupted..._

Just like on that magical evening, Eugene was brought back to reality by the sound of the driver behind him impatiently thrusting their palm against the centre of their steering-wheel. He looked up and saw a glowing, green light through the pouring rain, and what looked like a reasonably large gap between him and the car in front of him.

Eugene pressed down on the gas-pedal, and the car jolted to life, and he followed the stream of traffic up ahead. That memory… It was just as clear as all the others… Even now, two years after his beloved's passing, his shattered heart still ached as much as it did the moment she died.

A fork of lighting ripped across the sky, causing a small, sad smile to momentarily appear on his face as tears began to form in his eyes, "Quite a storm, Mel… You would've loved this…"

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Whoa, that was long! Again, so sorry for taking so long to update... Review?**


	9. Hello Hello

**Hey guys! Sorry this took a little while, but I'm finally on school holidays! Here's the next chapter!**

**Umbre0n: I honestly burst out laughing when I read your comment! :D Oh, and just you wait... I'm planning on Izzy letting two more people in on the secret... They'll be revealed in due course...  
****hera98: Thank you! ;)  
****DreamGirll: Not sure where you recognise the date from... :/ Oh well, I'm glad you liked the last chapter!  
****Ashe: Thank you! Hope you'll keep reading to see what happens...  
****Bookworm741: I'm so glad you like it! Enjoy this chapter!  
****MrAndersIversen: I'm glad to hear you're not confused anymore. Thank you so so much for yet another wonderful review! :)**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 9 ~ Hello Hello**

**November 25th 2011, New York City**

Isabelle stepped out of the taxi, paid and thanked the driver, and headed up the front steps to the NYPD, putting her cellphone headphones back in her ears, "Sorry Katie, I'm back. What were you saying...?"

It was about 5 o'clock, and Izzy had decided to come to the precinct to meet up with her dad.

"_I said, 'what's the next stage of the plan?',_" Kaitlin repeated.

"Probably picking one for now, then chat with them," Isabelle shrugged, entering the police station and approaching the elevator. She sighed, stepping into the lift, "I just hope I can find someone for Dad..."

"_Well, you've got four great possibilities..._"

"Actually three..." Isabelle corrected. "Turns out Cameron isn't quite as old as she says she is..."

"_How old is she?_" Kaitlin asked.

"27."

"_You're kidding!_"

"No, she is. The second I found out, I fed her profile to our paper-shredder," Isabelle replied, before she heard Kaitlin laugh. When she said 'paper-shredder', she really just meant 'Maximus', who could turn a piece of paper into confetti in mere seconds. "I mean, she seems like a nice enough person, but at the end of the day, anyone Dad gets together with could end up becoming my step-mum. And in this case, I just wouldn't be comfortable having a step-mum who wasn't even _15_ when my birth mum gave birth to me."

"_Rightly so,_" Kaitlin agreed. There was a moment of silence, before Kaitlin asked, just as the elevator doors parted, "_Isabelle... Are you sure you know what you're doing?_"

Isabelle stopped just outside the elevator, her gaze instantly falling on a tall figure sitting at a desk across the room. His head was resting in his right hand, while he held a picture frame with his left, his thumb rubbing slow, small circles on the edge of the frame. Teardrops slowly dripped from his chocolate brown eyes, rolling down his face and collecting in his goatee.

Isabelle continued to silently watch her dad. In that instant, her mind was made up. This wasn't just a one-off thing... This was, whether he let on or not, every day for nearly 26 months. And it had to stop. Now...

"_Izzy? You okay?_"

"I'm better than okay, Katie... I'm ready," she replied, still watching her dad, "I'm standing here, watching Dad just sit there staring at that picture of Mum with tears in his eyes... He needs this..."

Across the room, Eugene brushed away the tears on his cheeks, placing the picture frame back in its usual place. He sighed shakily, turning away from the frame. Noticing Isabelle, he smiled at her.

"I have to go, Katie," Isabelle sighed. "Talk to you soon."

With that, Isabelle hung up the phone, slipped it in the pocket of her jacket, and began walking towards her dad's desk.

He straightened as she neared him, "Hey, sweetheart. How was school today?"

She shrugged, replying simply. "Uneventful."

Eugene chuckled, standing up with some files in his hand, "Well, I'll just get these where they belong, then we'll head home. Okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

Eugene kissed his daughter's forehead, before walking off. Once sure he was gone, Isabelle swivelled round on her heels and walked up to Jessica's desk. It wasn't a long walk, as the two desks were right next to each other.

"Hey you," Jessica smiled. "How's... you know...?"

Izzy giggled, "It's going okay... Thanks again for checking those profiles for me."

"It's a good thing I did too!" Jessica replied jokingly. They both laughed a little, before Jessica sighed, "You made a decision yet?"

Isabelle smiled, "I'm gonna go for it."

Eugene appeared, and stood just outside the elevator. Noticing him, Jessica pulled the teen into a hug, and whispered in her ear, "Good luck."

Isabelle smiled gratefully at her, before joining her father at the elevator.

* * *

**That night, Los Angeles, California**

Rapunzel stepped back from the wall, admiring her work, and a triumphant smile spread across her face. It was just after 7pm and she was working on the continuous mural that ran across every wall in her house. Pascal was dosing peacefully on her desk, while her dad, who'd driven down from Malibu for dinner, was finishing off the washing-up for her.

The artist turned to look at her father, "What do you think?"

Her dad, Richard, looked up at the newest painting on the wall and smiled, "The mural's looking great, sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad." Rapunzel looked at the wall a moment longer, before starting to put her paints away, "I think I'll give it some drying time before adding anything else..."

"Sounds like a plan to me..." Richard replied, placing the sodden tea towel in the laundry basket. "Maybe once you've finished packing up, you could have a look through those profiles..."

"Dad..." she started threateningly.

"I'm just saying," he added quickly, holding his hands up in defence, "There's no point signing up to Internet dating if it doesn't go any further than... you know... _signing up_..."

"For the record, I already _have_ been through those profiles," the artist corrected, rinsing her paintbrushes. "I just can't make up my mind on what I'm doing... This just seems... _weird_ to me... Meeting a guy I could end up _marrying_ over the _Internet_..."

"I met your mother over a supermarket checkout," her father pointed out.

"That's not the point!" Rapunzel sighed, drying off her paintbrushes, "Daddy... do you think I'm doing the right thing? You know, having this account...?"

"Of course! This is part of growing up. A little rebellion; that's good! Healthy even," Richard replied.

"DAD!"

"I'm kidding... Listen, Rapunzel, you're an accomplished artist, and while you may not have a very busy job, it's nevertheless time-consuming; it takes a while for you to get a painting exactly how you want it. And it's not like you spend all your time painting... You have other things to do on top of that... You deserve someone who'll love you with all his heart. And that someone _might_ just be the first of your matches to say 'hello'..."

His daughter smiled slightly, glancing back down at her paintbrushes.

"Come on... You know what I mean..."

Rapunzel's head instantly shot up. She knew what her father was going to do. "Daddy, no. No..."

Ignoring her, he started singing, "_Feet are feeling light..._"

Rapunzel tried not to laugh as a smile spread across her face. Even if it was just them and Pascal, her father's singing was amusingly embarrassing. "Daddy, stop!"

Not listening, again he continued, "_Head on out to see the sights..._"

The artist giggled, "Daddy, don't sing!"

"_Ain't life a many splendored thing?_" Richard gave his daughter an extravagant bow, as well as an expectant smile.

Rapunzel huffed, smiling all the same, and continued, "_Ducking up and down, all these crazy sights and sounds, bounce around like puppets on a string. Never gonna find, anything to change my mind... Famous last lines of a fool..._"

Richard chuckled, before completing the verse, "_Just when you think, your chain is just one link… Something comes to tip you off your stool..._"

Rapunzel smiled, and looked down at the ground. Looking back up, she asked, "You really think he's out there?"

Shaking his head, her dad replied, "Rapunzel... I _know_ he's out there."

She smiled again, and gave her dad a hug, "Thanks Dad..."

"You're welcome, sweetheart..."

She pulled back from the hug, and turned to look at the chameleon sitting by her computer. "Hey Pascal... has Cousin Jerry emailed me those pictures yet?"

The animal stirred at the sound his name and yawned.

"Hold on, I'll check," Pascal replied, scampering over to the mouse. With his two front paws, he moved the mouse for a moment or two, then waited. After a few seconds, a knowing smirk appeared on his face, before he answered, "Nothing from Jerry. But, uh... You do have something else of interest..."

Rapunzel walked over to her desk and sat down, as Pascal added, "A message. From one of your matches..."

Rapunzel read the email and saw that Pascal was right. It was a simple message - just a basic 'hello' - but then again, it was the first.

"Who's it from, sweetheart?" Richard asked, appearing behind her.

"_Eugene Fitzherbert_," she replied, reading through the email. Something about the name seemed ever-so-vaguely familiar. "Hold on..."

Reaching towards a small stack, the artist flipped through the profiles, until she found what she was looking for. Pulling Eugene's from the stack, she read through the page, gasping softly when she found why the name sparked her attention.

"He's the one doing it for his daughter..." she mumbled quietly.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?"

Rapunzel handed her dad the profile for him to read, "Eugene; he lost his wife to leukaemia about two years ago... His daughter made him see that he couldn't keep grieving the way he was and convinced him to try and find love again."

"Hm... She sounds like quite a kid..." Richard added, handing the profile back to his daughter. "And her father doesn't sound too shabby either..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rapunzel, this guy is an accomplished policeman, he's quite _clearly_ a loving father, and he _is_ ruggedly handsome... Maybe not as much as yours truly, but-"

He trailed off when his daughter nearly choked on her own laughing fit. The artist coughed a couple of times, before calming herself down. She looked back at the computer screen and her smile faded. Richard sighed, and placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders.

"Rapunzel, sweetheart... I know you've been hurt before, but that doesn't mean you'll get hurt again... You're an incredible, gifted, beautiful young woman who deserves to have someone wonderful in her life. And you never know... This, "Eugene"-" Richard waved a hand at the computer screen, "- just might be the guy you've been waiting your whole life for... But you'll never know 'til you give him a try..."

Rapunzel turned to see a small, encouraging smile on her dad's face. Making her decision, she smiled back at him. Turning back to her computer screen, she laid her fingertips on the keyboard and typed one word in reply...

'**Hello.'**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**There we have it... Thank you Dad for giving me ideas for Rapunzel's dad! *smirks and rolls eyes* The song Rapunzel and her dad sing is 'Hello Hello' by Elton John and Lady Gaga from the movie 'Gnomeo and Juliet'. Anyway, please review!**


	10. Threads of a Spider's Infoweb

**Hello again! Sorry for taking so long to update... Here's another chapter...**

**Umbre0n: Once again, laughed when I saw your comment... :D Yeah, Rapunzel's father is roughly based on my own dad... Some of the things I had Richard do are definitely things my dad would do... (;  
****DreamGirll: Really? I wouldn't know because Tangled didn't come out here in Aussie until the following January... Anyway, since you're so desperate to know what happens, here's the next chapter...  
****MrAndersIversen: Like always, thank you!  
T****rekrider: Yeah, he's awesome... Even if he is absolutely crazy at times... As far as them meeting, that's still a long way off... Just be patient...  
****Bookworm741: This has gotta be one of the longest reviews I've ever received... Hope to receive more reviews from you with future chapters! (;**

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Chapter 10 ~ Threads of a Spider's Infoweb**

**November 28th 2011, New York City**

The sound of the lunch bell echoed through the school, and students began flooding from their classrooms. Yanking open a set of heavy glass doors, Isabelle, Kaitlin and Taylor walked out of the classroom block and onto the snow-covered grounds, nice and warm in their coats, gloves and scarves.

"Look at all this snow!" Taylor smiled, taking a handful of snow and throwing it into the air.

Kaitlin giggled at her antics, "So, where are we going to sit?"

"Uh... How about over there?" Isabelle asked, pointing to a nearby picnic table. It was half-covered in snow, but that would wipe off.

"Sure," Kaitlin shrugged. With that, the three girls started walking over to the table.

"Taylor!"

Taylor felt her breath catch in her throat, and turned to see none other than her crush walking up to her.

"Uh- Hey, Christian," Taylor replied, nervously tucking a few loose strands of her blonde hair behind her ear as she walked up to meet him, unaware of the smirks her BFF's were trying so hard to hold back.

The boy, Christian Ruby, held out a small pink notebook, "You dropped this on your way out of class..."

Taylor smiled, taking the notebook, "Thanks."

He returned her smile with one of his own - and Izzy could have sworn she saw a sparkle in his deep green eyes - before jumping back to reality, "Anyway, I'll see you after lunch…"

"Uh, yeah, sure…" Taylor replied, trying to sound calm. With a final smile, he turned and started walking back to his friends. Once he was out of earshot, Taylor turned and walked up to her friends, who were waiting for her by the table with knowing smiles on their faces.

"Ooooooooooh…" Isabelle and Kaitlin chorused, before Izzy added in a sing-song voice, "Some-one _likes you_…"

"Isabelle, he doesn't like me."

"But Tay-"

"Okay. Yes, he gave me my notebook back," she acknowledged, a hint of pain in her voice as she added, "But he's too busy with _Skye_ to notice _me_…"

Kaitlin cocked an eyebrow at her, "Are they even _together_?"

"Come on, Katie, look at them!" Taylor cried, gesturing a hand towards where Christian was now gathered with his friends, with the 'Skye' in question trying to get as close to him as possible. Isabelle slowly shook her head in response.

"No Tay, _you_ look at them," she replied. Taylor sighed, but did as instructed, and Izzy continued, "She's practically _clinging_ to his arm! And look at the look on his face... I don't know much about guys, but I know enough to know that that's the look of a guy who's trying to be a gentleman, but in his mind he's screaming at her '_Okay, just back off!_' . She's probably just hanging around him for the popularity... He _is_ one of the most popular guys in our year level after all…"

Taylor had to admit, Izzy wasn't wrong. It was obvious that Christian was uncomfortable with the way Skye was hanging off his arm by the way he carefully loosened himself from her grip. She sighed, frowning, "Still, like you said, he's one of the most popular, good-looking guys in our year… Why would he go for a girl like me? I'm clumsy, I'm dull, I'm plain, my eyes are too dark a brown, my cheeks and nose are covered in freckles-"

"Tay, stop it..." Isabelle interrupted, nothing but tenderness in her voice, "You're not clumsy or dull, you're amazingly talented, you're kind, sweet, beautiful, your eyes are stunning, and your freckles are adorable!"

There was a brief pause, before Izzy took Taylor's hands, "Just… Just hold on a little longer, okay? Things will work out… And even if he _isn't_ the right guy, your right guy _is_ out there, and you _will_ find him..."

Taylor looked up at her and smiled, "When did you get so smart in this area?"

Izzy opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Kaitlin answered, "Since she started dating her dad's perfect match."

The three girls all started laughing hysterically. Once they'd calmed down, Kaitlin asked, "Hey, speaking of that… How did your first chat with Rapunzel go?"

"Pretty well," Isabelle replied as they started eating their lunch. "We just talked a little about ourselves, our jobs… little things like that…"

Taylor noticed a worried look in her eyes, "But…?"

Isabelle sighed, explaining, "I'm just worried I might blow my cover… I mean, there's no knowing what she's going to ask and when. What happens if she asks something I can't answer? I can't just message back saying 'I don't know'… It'd be a dead giveaway!"

"You just need to try and learn as much about your dad as possible," Kaitlin explained, putting down her sandwich. "Listen, imagine you are a spider-"

Isabelle cocked an eyebrow, asking sceptically, "Katie, how's that supposed to help me?"

"Just hear me out," she replied, holding her hands up in defence. Izzy sighed, before nodding for her to continue. "Okay, imagine you are a spider, and that this account is a complex web you're crafting..."

"Okay..."

"You want to weave in all the delicate details, but before you can you need to create the base threads connected to the wall; the ones that hold the web together. For you, the base threads would be those basic aspects of his life..."

"You mean like his childhood and his work life?" Taylor questioned.

"Exactly," Kaitlin confirmed. "But you need a wall for those threads to be attached to, i.e. someone who can give you the info you need…"

"Okay, well Jess's already agreed to helping me as best she can so I'm sure she'd be willing to fill me on Dad's work life," Isabelle determined. "And I'm pretty confident I can talk Grandma Makena into helping me in the 'childhood' area…"

"Great!" Kaitlin smiled. "Then once you have those base threads, you can then go back and weave in all the details…"

"Oh, you mean like that scar?" Taylor asked, before receiving a blank look from Kaitlin.

"Remember? Once when we were kids Izzy's parents took us all swimming... I got some water in my eye so Eugene went to get my towel for me, and as he was walking back to us, we saw that scar on his side..." she explained, point to the lower-right side of her stomach.

"Oh yeah! I remember!" Isabelle recollected, then mused, "No one actually ever told me the story behind that..." **(AN: You'll learn more later... ;)**

"Yes, like that," Kaitlin clarified. "Anyway, it's pretty simple... you have those base threads, and you'll be able to weave in the details..."

"Did you really just give me a lesson in identity fraud by comparing me to a _spider_?" Isabelle smirked. Kaitlin shrugged with a smile.

"It's actually a pretty clever analogy when you think about it…" Taylor pointed out.

"Hum... But there's still one more thing..." Isabelle stated. "_Exactly_ how Mum and Dad met..."

Taylor bit her lip, "The one who'd know the most about that would be your dad..."

"... And asking him is bound to raise questions..." Kaitlin added. "And rub salt in his wounds..."

Isabelle thought for a moment, before she smiled, "I've got it!"

Pulling her phone out of her bag, she switched it on and started going through her contacts. Once she'd found the person she was looking for, she sent them a text reading, _'Can u pick me up from school 2day? We need 2 talk...'_

* * *

Isabelle stood in front of the school, checking the clock on her phone for the fifth time now. She'd been standing there since school ended 10 minutes prior. Both Kaitlin and Taylor had gone home, so she was left to just stand and wait.

The teen sighed, looking up. As she did so, she saw a car approaching. Recognising it, she picked up her school bag and walked up to the car as it pulled over.

Opening the front passenger-seat door, she scowled at the driver, "You're late."

The driver sighed, "You really _are_ your mother's daughter, aren't you?"

"I've been standing out here in the cold for over 10 minutes!" Isabelle grumbled, climbing into the passenger-seat and doing up her seatbelt. "Uncle Kurt, where were you?!"

"I was giving a lesson!" the piano tutor defended himself, pulling back onto the road. "I got here as soon as I could..."

"Well, you're here now..."

The next several minutes went by reasonably quietly as her uncle navigated his way through the busy roads, but before long, they reached her apartment block. After Kurt had parked his car, the two made their way up to her and her dad's apartment.

"Thanks for getting me home Uncle Kurt," Izzy said, walking into the living room and placing her bag on the floor.

Kurt closed the front door behind himself before joining her in the living room, "So what's all this about? From the looks of your text, it's something important..."

Isabelle silently turned to her uncle, who added, "Did I do something?"

Izzy shook her head, and replied quietly, "It's not you, it's Dad... I need your help..."

"I'm listening..."

"You know how Dad keeps on telling people he's fine when he's obviously not?"

"Yeah..."

"Well..." Izzy began slowly, carefully choosing her words as she sat down on the couch. "Let's just say I _kinda_ took matters into my own hands..."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and smirked, sitting down next to her, "Go on..."

Taking a deep breath, she explained, "I _may_ or may not have posed as Dad on eHarmony..."

"For real?" Kurt asked eagerly. Isabelle nodded, and his eyes lit up with excitement as he beamed at his niece, "Izzy! I'm so proud of you! Finally doing something rebellious!"

"Excuse me, this is **not** rebellious!" Izzy denied. "This is simply me trying to help Dad find love again..."

"Okay. Okay... So where do I come in to this?"

"Well, I was talking with Tay and Katie about it-"

"So they're in on it too, huh?" her uncle smirked. "Who else has been dragged into this scheme of yours?"

"Just Jess and Grandma Makena, but that isn't the point!" Isabelle replied.

"I'm just asking..." Kurt again defended himself. "Anyway, so you were talking with Taylor and Kaitlin..."

"... And we agreed that if I'm going to pull this off, I need to know as much as I can about every aspect of Dad's life," Isabelle explained. "Now I called Grandma Makena while I was waiting for you to come get me-" she shot him a displeased look, "- and she agreed to help me with Dad's childhood, and I've already got Jessica filling me in on his work life, but I need someone who can tell me everything there is to know about how he and Mum met... And since I _obviously_ can't ask Dad-"

"- so you're going to the unfortunate uncle who was forced to sit and watch his sister and some lovesick guy she'd only just met fawn over each other, before getting engaged less than a month later," Kurt added, rolling his eyes at the memory.

"Excluding Dad, you know the most about it... You're my best option..."

Kurt sighed, replying a moment later, "Alright... I'm in."

Isabelle smiled, "Great! So, how _exactly_ did they meet?"

"Well, you already know the basics, but it all started when your dad very nearly got dragged into a jewellery heist..."

**.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.**

**Really? Did you **_**honestly**_** think I was going to go **_**any**_** further than there? *wicked grin* Okay, I'm OFFICIALLY in dire need of SUGGESTIONS... I mean, I know how I want the rest of the story to play out, but I'm stuck with what to have for the next chapter... PLEASE HELP!**


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